Toothbrush sterilizer and retainer



s. H THOMPSON. TOOTHBRUSH STERILIZER AND RETAINER.

APPLIE-ATION- FILED AUGJ. 1919.

Patented June13, 1922.

I lowing is a specification.

Y the retainer.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL narnourson', or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

QTOOTHBRUSH STERILIZER AND RETAINER.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. THoMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los .Angeles, in the county'of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and 1 useful Im rovements in Toothbrush Sterilizers and etainers, of which the fol- This inventionrelates to improvements in tooth brush sterilizers and retainers and particularly to tooth brush sterilizers and retainers of the general character set forth in Patent No. 1,278,789, issued to me September 18, 1918. It is a particular object of the invention to provide an effective, simple and inexpensive device of this character.

A particular object of the invention is to provlde a simple and inexpensive holder or retainer for a tooth brush or other article which will not only protect the brush against being contaminated by contact with other brushes or unsanitary articles but will cause the brush to be effectively sterilized while in The brush is sterilized by vapor from an antiseptic or sterilizing liquid, and due to the construction of the retainer the compartment or portion in which the brush'is held is at all times filled with such vapor. I v

A further and a particular object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush sterilv,

izer and retainer that is simple and inexpensive to maniifacture. By the present invention a retainer is provided which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured out of glass or other sanitary material and which is extremely eifective and sightly.

Further objects and features of the invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description in which referenceis had to the accompanying drawings in which are shown typical preferred forms of the invention. It will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to holding tooth brushes, although I explain it specifically as a tooth brush holder. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation .of the sterilizer and retainer with a part broken away to show in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a modification; Fig. 4 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13,1922.

Applicationflled August 7, 1919. Serial No. 315,888.

asideelevation of a 'inodified form of the invention; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the form shown in Fig. 4, taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 4.

Throughout the drawings numeral 10 designates the tubes in which are held the tooth brushes 11. The tubes 10 may be made slngly or may be made in groups as shown 1n the drawlngs (Figs 1 and 2). It is preferred that the tubes be made of clear glass f for sanitary qualities and sightliness. Integral with and extending from the tubes 10 there are lugs 12 which are provided with holes 13. The lugs 12 provide 'a means for.

mounting or attaching the, tubes on a wall or the like. Near the bottom or lower end of each tube 10 there is a contracted portion 14 which forms a hole or a passage way 15 between the upper chamber 10 of the tube 10'which contains the brush 11 and the lower The chamber 16 of chamber 16 of the tube. the tube may be substantially spherical in shape; and is adapted to hold a sterilizing liquid. The spherical chamber 16 is preferably large enough to hold enough liquid to last considerable time. The passage way 15 is preferably of such a size as to prevent the tooth brush 11. from passing through it; at the. same time allowing sufiiciently free passage of the vapor from the-sterilizing liquid upwardly into the brush containing. chamber 10*. The vapor from the fluid in the chamber 16 being allowed to pass through the passage way 15, completely fills the brush holding chamber of the tube, thereby causing the brush to be completely submerged in said vapor.

It will be noted that when the'brush 11 is placed in the tube 10 so that the bristles 11 are at the bottom of the brush containing chamber, the vapor passing upwardly through passage way 15 must come in contact with said bristles. When the brush is placed in the retainer in this manner positive sterilization of the bristles is assured. In order to prevent dust or foreign matter from getting into the tube 10 and also to prevent the vapor from the sterilizing liquid preferably made so as to fit the tube 10 rather tightly. The occasional removal of the stopper, to remove or replace the brush, allows theescape of a small amount of vapor and thus causes the vapor in the brushholding chamber to be refreshed from time to time by new vaporization from the liquid. The rate of vaporization and the length of time a charge of liquid will last, will depend upon the volatility of the liquid, the amount of liquid present, the vaporizing surface presented by it, and the size of passage 15, all of which may be chosen or regulated to suit. If so desired, the stopper may be somewhat loose, or other. arrangements may be made to provide a small leakage of vapor which will cause constant but slow refreshment of the vapor around the brush.

In Fig. 3 I show that the chamber 16 need not be larger than the contraction at 15-an extension of the contracted portion may itself provide the chamber 16 a In the form of the invention shown} in Figs. 4 and 5 an outer tube 20 adapted to hold a sterilizing liquid is provided in which is suspended a brush holding tube. The liquid holding tube 20 is preferably made so that it may be removably carried in bracket 21 which is provided with holes 22 so thatit may be mounted on a wall or the like. The tube 20 is adapted to be slipped downwardly through, the bracket 21 and is provided with an enlarged portion or bead 23 near its top which prevents it from sliding out of the bracket. The inner brush carrying tube 24 is contracted at its lower endso as to form an aperture 25 as shown in Fig. 5. The aperture 25 is preferably made small enough to prevent the 6 brush 11 v from passing through it at the same time allowing suiiiciently free passage of vapor. Around the top of the brush carrying tube 24 there is an outwardly extending flange 26 which provides a means by which the tube is suspended in the liquid carrying tube 20. The underside of flange 26 engages a rubber washer 27 which is supported by the top edge of the liquid carrying tube 20. On the'outer surface of the tube 20 near the top of said tube there are screw threads adapted to be engaged by a cap 29. From the top edge of the cap 29 there is an inwardly extending flange 30 which engages the upper side of flange 26. When the cap 29 is tightly screwed onto the tube 20 the flange 30 will cause the washer 27 to be tightly held between the flange 26 of the brush carrying tube 24 and the top edge of the liquid carrying tube 20.

This construction causes the brush carrying tube 24 to be firmly suspended in the liquid carrying tube 20 and causes the joint between the top of tube 20 and the flange 26 to be perfectly tight. With this construction the brush carrying tube 20 may be easily removed when it is desired to clean the device.

The sterilizing liquid may be filled into the tube to approximately the level shown in Fig. 5. When the-tube 20 is filled to approximately this level the liquid will. not'enter the tube 24 but the vapor from the liquid will be freeto pass through aperture 25. If it is so desired, the liquid may be filled into the tube 20 so as to cover or submerge the end of tube 24 asshownin Fig. 4. When the tube is filled in this manner the liquid acts as a seal for aperture 25 and prevents dust or foreign matter that may get into the tube 20 from getting into thetube 24. A stopper 30 is provided for the brush carrying tube 24, which stopper may be made of cork, glass or any other suitable material. An ornamental knob 31 may be provided on the cork 30 so as to form "a handle by which the stopper It will be noted that both forms have a brush.

carrying chamber constricted at its lower end, with a fluid holding chamber below; the fluid holding chamber in one form being integral in the brush holding tube and in the otlger form being supplied by a surrounding tu e.

.Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. A tooth brush holder comprising a tubular receptacle closed at oneend and adapted to be supported in a vertical position with its closed end down, the bottom or closed lower end being formed integral with the body of the receptacle, said receptacle having an interior support for a tooth brush adjacent its lower closed end which support provides with the closed end a chamber for a disinfectant medium that communicates with the body of the receptacle above said support through a relatively narrow throat or passage, and a removable closure for the upper end of the body. I

2. A tooth brush holder comprising a tubular body closed at one end and adapted to be supported in a vertical position with its closed end down, the side wall of the body being deflected inward adjacent the closed end to form within the body a tooth brush support and two communicating chambers having integral walls, and a removable closure for the upper end of the body.

3. A tooth brush holder comprising a tubular body closed at one end and adapted to be supported in a vertical position with its closed end down, an annular groove being formed about the body adjacent its closed In Witness that I claim the foregoing I end and the side Wall of the body thereby have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th deflected inward to provide asupport for a day of July 1919.

tooth brush and divide the body interiorly DR SAMUEI H THOMPSON into two chambers communicating through a. J i relatively narrow throat, and a removable Witness:

closure for the upper end of the body VIRGINIA I. BERINGER. 

